John identifies himself as an elder which simply means a person who is older in the faith, someone long experienced in the faith who is able to help others because of his experience and the wisdom that he has learned and been taught by God. The Ekklesia [the called out brethren] collectively are being presented as the Elect Lady, a term for the assembly of the called out to God, espoused as a collective bride to Christ.

2 John 1:1 The elder [John] unto the elect lady [the spiritual Ekklesia] and her children [the individual members of the body the Ekklesia of Christ],whom I love in the truth; and not I only, but also all they that have known the truth;

All those who have been called to God the Father through Jesus Christ and who sincerely repent, committing themselves to “go and sin no more;” are a part of the body of Christ regardless of any organizational affiliation.

There IS NO SUCH THING as a corporate “true church” of God!

All who love and zealously live by every Word of God are full of godly love; for God’s Word defines godly love and teaches us how to love as God loves.

1:2For the truth’s [God’s Word is truth!] sake, which dwelleth in us [if we follow the Holy Spirit to keep God’s Word with Christ-like zeal], and shall be with us for ever; 1:3 grace be unto you. mercy, and peace, from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.

God is love and truth therefore God’s Word is love and truth.

John 17:17Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth

2 John 1:4 I rejoiced greatly that I found of thy children walking in the truth, as we have received a commandment from the Father.

If Jesus Christ came today; would he find our organizations and each of us walking in the truth and in a genuine love of zeal for the whole Word and Will of God? Most certainly NOT!

Both organizationally and individually, the vast majority of today’s Ekklesia has no zeal to live by every Word of God, and instead follow idols of men and past false traditions, exalting them above the learning and the keeping of the whole Word and Will of Almighty God!

1:5 And now I beseech thee, lady [the brethren], not as though I wrote a new commandment unto you, but that which we had from the beginning, that we love one another.

The scriptural definition of godly love is to diligently learn and zealously live by every Word of God!

And this is love; that we walk after his commandments[True godly love is to live by every Word of God. Therefore the commandment to love God and to love our neighbour means that we are to live by every Word of God.]This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning, you should walk [God’s Word from the very beginning at creation and later through Moses is the same as the New Covenant today, we are to live by every Word of God, which is true godly love] in it.

Today there are many false teachers even in the brotherhood who claim that Jesus Christ will not keep his Father’s Word in us; that instead Christ will overlook our sins and tolerate them. That is the doctrine of Antichrist, denying the name [authority and power] of Christ and denying his mastery over Satan and sin.

Yes we are weak, but Jesus Christ is STRONG, he is MIGHTY to deliver his faithful; if we are only zealous to follow him and to live by every Word of God!

The whole experience of physical Israel in the wilderness was for our example, showing us that as long as we are faithful to follow and live by the Word of God he will go before us to deliver us; but if we turn away from our zeal to live by every Word of God we shall fail and fall into grave correction.

It is the spiritually lazy who fall away, not having enough love for God to make an effort to keep his Word and to do God’s Will, and then making excuses to try and justify their lack of effort to keep the whole Word of God

Jesus Christ lived by every Word of God the Father, and if Christ dwells in us he will keep his Father’s Word in us, and we will have the strength of Christ in us to live by every Word of God as Jesus did.

Anyone who does not keep the whole Word and Will of God the Father and the instructions of Christ with passionate zeal and makes excuses to sin willfully, has gone astray and MUST REPENT quickly; lest Christ refuse to dwell in us any longer.

If anyone says “don’t worry about doing that, God is love and will overlook it” they are teaching people to sin and leading them into severe judgment: They are LIARS and antichrists!

1:6 And this is love, that we walk after his commandments. This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it.

If Jesus Christ is dwelling in us, he will be keeping the Will of God the Father and he will be living by every Word of God the Father; in us.

If he is in our flesh through the Holy Spirit; we through his strength and his power will be living by every Word of God the Father: and if we sin in ignorance or inadvertently and we quickly sincerely repent as soon as the matter is known to us, and we stop doing it; it is a sin that is not unto death and we will be forgiven!

How do we know this? Because the sinless Jesus Christ said, “I have overcome the world.” And since he overcame and he is dwelling in us, he will give us the power and the strength to overcome the world.

We do not learn or overcome all things instantly, which is why we must follow the lead of God’s Spirit as it brings us into full compliance with God’s Word. But if we sin willfully, thinking that God will overlook our sins, we make a mockery of the sacrifice of Christ; for he did not give his life so that we might continue in our sin, but so that we might be delivered from bondage to sin, Satan and death!

1:7 For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come [dwelling in us by the Holy Spirit] in the flesh [Such deceivers reject the scriptures that say that Christ will dwell in us and enable us to overcome sin by the Holy Spirit. Instead they teach tolerance for sin and justify a lack of zeal to overcome sin as Christ overcame sin.]. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.

Any spirit or any person that does not confess that we need to keep every Word of God, and that we can do so through the power of God dwelling in us; is a deceiver and an Antichrist.

1:8 Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought [Do not give up but continue to grow and overcome so that our spiritual growth is not lost through giving up the struggle to become like our Father in heaven], but that we receive a full reward.

1:9 Whosoever transgresses [God’s Word knowingly willfully], and abides not in this doctrine of Christ, [The doctrine that Christ is dwelling in us as the great overcomer and will liberate us from sin if we zealously follow him and keep the whole Word of God.]does not know God. He that abides in the doctrine of Christ [The doctrine that the sinless Christ is living in us by the Holy Spirit enabling us to also overcome sin.], he hath both the Father and the Son [dwelling in us by the Holy Spirit].

The Spirit of God and the Spirit of Christ, are dwelling in us if we have been called and we have sincerely repented; committing to “Go and sin no more.

The Father and the Son will both dwell in us through the power of God’s Spirit and the Holy Spirit of God is the very nature of God. Do you think that the Spirit of God which is dwelling in us will tolerate sin and depart from God’s Word?

What? Is God’s Spirit, which is the very nature of God, divided against God? or is Almighty God powerless to strengthen us to overcome sin and to become like God our Father in heaven?

Anyone who follows idols of men and corporate entities and is not zealous to keep the whole Word and Will of God, rejects the doctrine [teaching] that Christ dwelling in us through Gods Spirit strengthens us to overcome sin: does not know God and is an Antichrist.

We have become complacent towards keeping the Word of God, while becoming zealous for our groups and leaders; our idols of men!

We are organizationally proud; and have become idolaters, turning from any zeal to keep God’s Word, towards doing whatever we are told by our idols of men.

Of course, God will keep his own Word, because the Word of God is the very nature of God; and if his Spirit is dwelling in us it will lead and empower us to keep the Father’s Word; just as Jesus Christ kept the whole Word and Will of God the Father.

If the Spirit of Christ is in us, then it will empower us to keep the Father’s Word like Christ does.

Just as the Being who was made flesh and become Jesus Christ killed Uzzah (2 Sam 6) when he thought to do God a service while breaking God’s Word; so Christ will have no mercy on those who today think that they are doing God a service as they do what they want and refuse to do what God has commanded.

Have you not read what happened when David was filled with a righteous desire to bring the Ark of God up to Jerusalem, and did so improperly and contrary to the scriptures?

What David sought was right and good because of his zeal for the Eternal and Uzzah was trying to help. Yet God struck Uzzah down because they were not doing their good thing in the manner that God had commanded!

2 Samuel 6:6And when they came to Nachon’s threshingfloor, Uzzah put forth his hand to the ark of God, and took hold of it; for the oxen shook it. 6:7 And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzzah; and God smote him there for his error; and there he died by the ark of God.

Those people were bringing up the Ark with great rejoicing just as we rejoice at the Feasts of the LORD; and God did not accept them because they were not FULLY keeping the whole Word of God!

Those who teach compromise with God’s Word and willful sin, saying “God is love and will understand and God will overlook your sin,” are Antichrists. We are commanded by God to have nothing to do with such persons.

Brethren, many call the Sabbath holy and then walk all over the Sabbath and Holy Days polluting them.

According to John, we in today’s Ekklesia have become an execration [a thing held in abomination and loathed] by Almighty God!

2 John 1:10 If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine [Have nothing to do with anyone who does not accept that we are to live by every Word of God and that Jesus Christ dwelling in us by the agency of the Holy Spirit strengthens us to live by every Word of God.], receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: 1:11 For he that bids him God speed is a partaker of his evil deeds [is in agreement with his sins].

Brethren, we are to have no time for anyone willing to compromise with any part of God’s Word, or with those who deny the authority of the whole Word and Will of Almighty God and the need to zealously obey God, or who make a mockery of Christ’s sacrifice by willfully sinning! Yet how many elders teach this wickedness in today’s Ekklesia?

1:12 Having many things to write unto you, I would not write with paper and ink: but I trust to come unto you, and speak face to face, that our joy may be full.

1:13 The children of thy elect sister greet thee. Amen.

The term “elect sister” refers to the particular sister congregation from which John is writing, and the term “her children” refers to the various individual brethren sending greetings to the addressed congregation.